User Reviews

This hilarious satire pulls no punches, but it isn't raunchy or "shocking" just for the sake of being raunchy or shocking. It always has a point to make. It's ultimately a thoughtful look at the world today, particularly in regards to the music industry (which it lampoons beautifully). Filled with wonderful original music and engaging characters, STADIUM ANTHEMS is entertaining throughout and extremely well crafted top to bottom.

Stadium Anthems takes a familiar subject - the state and fate of the Western music recording industry - and updates the analysis with an original creative vision, a searing tone and a #MeToo heart at its core. The film offers a commentary on both old and new forces at play: the hedonism of the largely male music gods tending to their "sexual ecosystem"; the auto-cue that facilitates mediocre artists; seductions of sensationalist culture; disruptive technology and online music streaming that confronts industry players with cheaper and wider competition; and the eternal struggle between 'commerce' and 'art'.

The script's visceral tone suggests a highly personal take on the development of the mainstream music industry. Indeed, a wonderful surprise at end-credits reveals that writer-director Scott Douglas Brown and the cast variously penned and performed the many original songs in the film; this is film that comes from the inside out.

The film's pulse, then, is vibrant, and also urgent. To the unprepared viewer, the quirky Stadium Anthems at first glance seems open to accusations of trying too hard on gags, but is in fact a sincere and intelligently designed story. Such is the gripping pace and plot craft that smartphone distractions need not apply. There are a couple of unexpected shapeshifter characters who at film's end delivers Stadium Anthems' own vision of hope for art and the music industry...in heartwarming fashion. Go give this film a good long chance.

This is a truly unique film, hard to pin down and very timely for the MeToo era. What sucked me was the witty dialogue throughout the film skewering the music industry lead by self obsessed men who are more id driven beasts than nuanced characters. This is compelling satire that seems so over the top until one considers the recent scandals of Harvey Weinstein et al. making it that much more thoughtful as the audience is left to ponder maybe this isn't so satirical after all. The film is grounded by quotes from famous musicians venting their frustrations with the industry that both exploits and launches their careers.

A bold, unique, raunchy comedy that lays bear our compulsions while at the same time providing wonderful food for thought about the power of music and the industry which props it up, threatens to destroy and slowly adapts to the ever changing marketplace.

This is a film unlike any other i've seen, which is a good thing.

I honestly wasn't expecting this film to be as funny as it is! Usually, mockumentaries fall flat for me but this film had me cracking up. It's raunchy, offensive, and over the top. AND I'M ALL FOR IT. Not to mention Star Wars references abound. (Boba Fetish anyone?)

Living in LA, I witness firsthand how crazy and weird the music industry can be and this film capitalizes on that.

The acting is great and the writing is so tight. The pacing is whiplike and the running time flies by so quick.

I am looking forward to more of Writer/Director Scott Douglas Brown brings to the fray. Definitely check this out.

It's not too often that you see a comedy that is THIS raunchy and THIS clever, and Stadium Anthems has pulled it off. This wild dark comedy brings both really clever dialogue and its fair share of sex jokes, which I personally found to be a hilarious combination. Dark comedies may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for those that enjoy the genre, I think they will appreciate Stadium Anthems as I particularly liked this sendup of the music industry. The topic of the music industry grappling with change, particularly in the current digital/post-Napster age, is ripe for satire and Stadium Anthems is the first film I've seen that really takes on the subject. If you like clever, raunchy comedies, I highly recommend Stadium Anthems!

This is a great movie in so many ways and with many layers. It takes on the male-dominated, corporate music industry, that can be related to many other industries. The movie has in-depth character development drawing into memorable female characters. The dialogue is deep, intelligent and funny. The cinematography is impeccable, but it was the directing style that blew me away. This, because director Brown builds up the story in a poetic and harmonic way that will keep you on board through the whole story. The original music will tune in your head with great vibes. This indie gem is highly recommended.

This is a hilarious satire! Its take on the male dominated, corporate music industry and flipping it on its head. It reminds me of Spinal Tap meets and a nice feminism edge, great female characters. The music is fun in the film and the characters are memorable. You will absolutely believe the reality of the music industry as it is portrayed here, even as you laugh at it. A very funny movie. I can't recommend it enough!

At face value, this is a film that pokes fun at the music business. But there really is so much more depth to it. There's some great music, but the real meat of the film is its philosophical exploration of whether commercial art and music actually have a value. Definitely something to ponder between the laughs.

A darkly comedic, raunchy send up of record label culture, Stadium Anthems presents as a mockumentary but plays more as a traditional narrative feature, which may create more ease of viewing than the genre's typical conventions (shaky handheld camera, bumbling improvisation) might provide. This smoother approach, with its strong framing and robust lighting, peppered with stylized "interview sequences," draws in the viewer to follow a debauched collective of record label brass, aspiring musicians, rock stars, and groupies as they stumble through the uncertainties of the contemporary music world. Stadium Anthems features cynical, hard drinking executives; a hot, mistreated female assistant who gets her comeuppance and achieves her dream; a bronze, buff, well-hung, insatiable rock god, "Warren Paradise"; and Heroine, an edgy yet down to earth food-fetish window performer who joins the motley studio crew as these miscreants attempt to navigate their battles of egos and a disaster leading up to a major album release. The well-cast ensemble of actors (most notably Toddy Walters, a Trey Parker/Matt Stone regular, star Kayden Cross, and Jude Moran, who gives an impressively three dimensional portrayal of the film's rock icon) lends credibility to the roles and genre. While sexual humor pervades, the film does dig down, giving glimpses at the purity of spirit that once attracted this wild bunch to the business of making music before they were corrupted by the realities of the industry. The film doesn't pull punches and highlights the greed, incompetence, unbridled sexual appetite, and misogyny that this dysfunctional family showcase as they strive to satisfy their own agendas while staying afloat in the business. And just when these characters find themselves in their darkest moment, there will most certainly be a raunchy, hilarious joke to bring us back to the light.

Stadium Anthems is a 2018 music mockumentary directed, produced, and written by Scott Douglas Brown. It follows the failing Dragon Chaser Records and their attempts at surviving a post music streaming world. Formatted as both a mockumentary and narrative, it takes jabs at all aspects of the both real life and fictional failing record industry.

The first act of the film does leave some doubt in the watcher. Much of it is set up and introducing characters. Although this is to be expected, it is rather slow, and it takes until the second act to get the plot moving at a more enjoyable pace. The slowdown in plot can be attributed to its cutaway gags and humour, which seem more prevalent in the first third of the film.

More time is given to those, and so the plot feels so stretched and slow. Once it picked up, I found myself not checking the time as much, but it will still show some slugness and will be hard to follow at times.

It was hard to watch the first third of the film. The humour didn't work for me, the plot was too slow and, although I liked the characters, none urged me to stay. However, I was given time to think it over. Yes, the humour is immature, silly, and full of innuendo but seems to be purposeful. The film parodies and comments on the failing music industry in a post #MeToo and streaming world. Some will not like it, but I did warm to it as I watched.

Even with its abundance of male anatomy references and curse words, the film does have some fun performances. Every actor seems to enjoy their role and even the minor characters have enough behind them to warrant a second glance.

It does have some guidance issues as I found it difficult who to pinpoint who the main character was. There are many plotlines to follow and even though every character does receive an arc, it does become a bit tiresome to follow them all, and the abundance of them means each arc is rather short and unfulfilling.

It does use its mockumentary style to streamline these arcs and speed them up. The common rule in film is "show, don't tell" and it works both ways in this. Using the interviews, it can speed up and elaborate more on specific things that don't have to be shown, and allows for some rather funny moments in the film.

The film also never appears amateur on a technical level. Everything has a polish to it, the cinematography is not awe inspiring, but does give us some good shots and composition throughout. The editing and timing for the humour is all there. It may not work all the time, but the filmmakers understand editing and timing in a comedy and it all shows promise and a clear care for quality. A clever eye might be able to spot some workarounds and some slight errors, but if it takes a clever eye to see, it must've taken a clever person to fix the initial problem.

People will not like this film, and it does have problems. However, I think that a good portion of people will like this. Some will call it dumb, some will say it's smart, and some will say it's both, but never on purpose. I'm in the middle of all these. In any case, I think people will talk about it. I did have a long conversation about it with another viewer, and any film breeding conversation is not bad, especially when it involves the themes in the movie.

I don't know if I would watch it again, but if i did, I know I would feel different about it. Whether it's better or worse, I could only know by viewing it again. I'd say give it thirty minutes, and if it's not for you then turn it off. What's the harm? Besides, I managed to write all this about it, so there's something to be said about it and seen for yourself.

This Indie film was a great film. The humor in it was very entertaining and the storyline kept my attention throughout the whole movie. The cast and directing was above the normal quality of most indie films. Actors were well rounded and talented and the music that was picked was captivating. This is a film that I will definitely be recommending to multiple friends and family members!

Comedy is the hardest genre to pull off in my opinion and it's subgenre of satire is even harder. Kudos to Stadium Anthems for nailing it! Not easy to do, especially as an indie!This was a really fun ride through the crazy world of the music industry with lots of good laughs along the way. The themes of the film are highlighted in a fun way that isn't too overt. I look forward to more from this talented filmmaker!

Raunchy, referential and balls to the wall, Stadium Anthems is a bawdy reflection of the music industry today. Imagine "The Office" if every other joke was a sex joke or a playful jab at the music industry. For those in the know when it comes to the music biz, this will surely deliver on the inside humor. For those like myself who know very little about that world, Scott Douglas Brown's irreverent film delivers an entertaining education and a slew of chuckle-worthy one liners to write home about. Sometimes it feels like being in a writer's room and listening to 8 writers firing off pitches at will, luckily to much success.

What I appreciate most though, was not necessarily the humor, but rather the character development. If I weren't able to root for these characters, all the jokes in the world would feel cheep and eventually start falling flat. Yet, because Brown builds up a cast with legitimate desires and empathetic struggles, I was on board throughout, hoping that at least a few of them would pull through and succeed in a world that seemingly begs for everyone to fail.

The cherry on top was Gretchen, "Knower of Things," the one serious character in the film who provides actual, real world details in what end up being comedic asides to the camera. Her genuine tone and love of the art world is so sweet in contrast to the rest of the loveably-unlikeable characters that it ends up creating some of the biggest laughs throughout.

A great satire has a lot of true and Stadium Anthems delivers. Great music but the actors/characters are the highlight of this indie gem. A fun story that follows people from the musician side as well as the industry side. Both sides with different perspective but want the same results and believe in different ways to get their. Fun, silly, and absurd at times. Two thumbs up for this great musical ride.

When I first started to watch this film I wasn't really sure what I was seeing. I know very little about the music business, so I was at a loss as to what was going on.. However The cast was very engaging and after awhile I was totally immersed in there performances.. Scott Douglas Brown's directing was a joy to watch. It's very rare to see such uniqueness in a film maker these days. The music was top notch. I would recommend this gem to anyone that is interested in Scott's truly creative viewpoint on the music business. The film is beautifully shot.

Great film, enjoyed he dark humor and wit. One of the better Indie films i have seen.

A funny film that satirizes the music industry and toxic male culture with with and fine performances. The comedy keeps it afloat, but the fact that it's satirizing troubling dynamics within any working industry is what makes you think more deeply afterwards.

Stadium Anthems is a terrific film. Highly recommended. Scott Douglas Brown is a great new filmmaker.

Stadium Anthems demonstrates the lack of talents, ideas, projects and funding to grow up new stars although many music compositions sound around us everywhere. In our days there are many technologies to make new sounds, new types of instruments and different styles of music. However, there are not many incredible composers, wonderful performers or amazing songwriters. The majority of musicians go to survival job to pay their bills and can't focus on music. There are other artists who have enough money and could focus on music, but they are not creative enough to produce something incredible. The music industry is all about it. The funniest thing in this movie (for me) is the fact that producers and sponsors are not musicians. Such a typical situation: they are not experts at all. I saw it so many times in the music industry. They can't play or sing, they don't have the knowledge, and they choose musicians without a professional understanding of education, background, level of skills, creativity, repertoire and other important things. Their choice often based on personal preferences that are not related to music, talent, skills or lyrics. Partly it is a reason of "Me too" situation in show business. There are many naive young ladies choose this way to reach their goals and became a famous singer or songwriters. It is always based on illusions and breaching of ethics. It is not professional at all and I'm glad to see that film directors started to show it in their movies. I really like the teacher of art. She is so nice person. She is smart, talented and generous person. She is educated and gifted; she knows people and cares about friendship. My favorite scene is when she tries different glasses and talk about age. It is a kind of metaphor of inner world of each of us. Choosing the right point of view helps to find a right solution, to see the good angle of any situation or to express your own feeling from the deepest of your "hearts" (she choose glasses that look like 2 hearts). I like the style of directing, excellent DOP job, acting and music. I like the message: musicians shouldn't work for free. Period. Watch the movie and have fun.

Great satire on the music industry, I think the acting and directing sells the movie. I absolutely enjoyed the cast and characters, well developed and engaging. Well done!

The cast of characters, writer & director did an excellent job. Its was funny and entertaining at the same time. A must watch!

Stadium Anthems is a smart, polished, fun satire. A hilarious and scathing takedown of the state of the music industry, and specifically how file sharing and the digital era changed it for the worse. Exceptional writing, and great cast. I am shocked I hadn't heard of it previously. An admirable amount of original music woven into the story, and an epic undertaking at the budget. A true passion project and well worth a watch!

The music industry corporate stereotypes are perfectly satirised. Must-watch mockumentary.

Nevermind that it's funny -- this movie's visuals are amazing! Very adept filmmaking and fine performances all around. Director Scott Brown packs a punch as he satirizes the music industry. And it reminds me of some of the characters I met in eighties hollywood when hair bands reigned supreme. It's as though the subjects of "Behind The Music" came back to life (or relevance) and got what they deserved.

The music is really good in this movie (even though it's comedy) and I love director's choices in costumes and set design. Good quality stuff and a great depiction of a time in history of the music industry that may never happen again at quite that over the top level of fame and fortune.